The Literature of Love from the View Point of Theosophy

Abstract

One of the definitions of love, given by Scholars and intellectuals, is to like something or someone enormously or to be fond of something. The term, "eshq" (the Arabic equivalent of love) with the root "ashaq" and "ashaqeh", has occupied the mind of many experts and scholars. Sometimes its position seems so high that it is called the bird of eternity and the lifelong traveler which nests in the glory of eternity. This research, by applying an analytical method, aims at showing different views of scholars and intellectuals, defining the term "eshq" in brief firstly, and then to emphasize that although the term "eshq" itself is not mentioned in Quran, its equivalents are detected in Quran, and that unlike Quran, theosophical texts and narratives have included the term many times. Love has been divided into different types and has different stages. The most famous division is virtual and true love. True love is to love God and His characteristics and virtual love is a sensual one which is limited by wisdom.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s4p203